I didn't grow up down here in the Southern Tier. I didn't have a large class of 100+ students. I grew up in a small little town called Edmeston and attended Edmeston Central School (ECS). My graduating class was MAYBE 20 kids. When I graduated I was so excited to get out as soon as possible. I held a grudge. I was picked on. I was bullied. I didn't think a place that mentally and emotionally wrecked me at a young age, would actually end up being the place that I attribute most of my best qualities and make me the person I am today. I believe a large part of that had to do with debate and track and field.
Debate, oh my lord, debate. I joined a club when I was in High School called Speech and Debate. At first, I was strictly speech and I sucked. I didn't do all to well. Impromptu was probably my best. There was then one person that got me out of that rut, Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker was a PHENOMENAL teacher. One thing he helped me with was my slur, which I actually did not realize that I had. He made me use m&m's on my tongue to stop it. "And if you don't fix it, chances are, you'll potentially choke on m&m's". Thankfully, I never choked on m&m's. The main thing that he helped me immensely with was Lincoln Douglas Debate. Lincoln Douglas Debate is where a single debater will argue both the positive and negative of a topic that is given to them. I was all new to debate and though I had practiced I was extremely nervous because I disliked confrontation, but loved to argue. I guess that's just the Aries in me hahaha. Being said, the first large tournament of the year is ALWAYS at SUNY Oneonta. This is where all the schools came together. Morris, Unatego, Oneonta, Edmeston, Worcester, Athens, Sayre, Gilbertsville-Mt.Upton, Franklin, and even home schoolers all would convene at SUNY Oneonta. This is actually where I met a few of my long lasting friends. Angie, Emily, Corbin, Danielle, needless to say...I had more friends from debate than at my own school, or so it felt sometimes.
One of the best parts was yet to come that day and it would throw me through a loop. A really good loop, but a loop nonetheless. I was so nervous because I was going up against people who were absolutely well more versed in debate. Let alone the topic that we had at the time. Do I remember it, no, but some of them had relations with people in these said areas that we were debating about and had more information that I didn't necessarily have. Nonetheless, I was about to be horribly (or joyfully?) be mistaken. There are 3 rounds for Lincoln Douglas debate. One round, you have to be the positive side to the topic, one you have to be the negative side to the topic, and last you flip a coin with your opponent because you both had already done both the positive and the negative. The debates were anywhere around 30-45 minutes a piece and anyone could come in and watch you. The judge would take the two and grade them on their debates and this highest score would move on to face someone that had won their debate. Simple, right? Well, at the end of the day if there was someone with matching scores, you would have to go up against them. With everyone else's events done, debate was always left with a LARGE audience to watch us. I went to watch another debate because they had matching scores and I thought to myself, it's whatever, it's your first debate there is no reason to be upset you didn't place.
After all the events and scores were finally settled, all the schools would convene in a single college classroom (and it was not an auditorium so it was CRAMPED). We would sit next to Morris normally and Franklin because those are the people we knew the best hahaha and occasionally Laurens. So, we're in the back corner, I am holding my suitcase full of debate papers, and Mr. Parker (who also runs the entire show) shows up and goes through the entire list of events. You had Prose and Poetry, Impromptu, Dramatic and Humorous interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Original Oratory, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, and then Lincoln Douglas was DEAD LAST. I was freaking OUT. I get really nervous or I used to I should say. Mr. Parker was on 3rd place for Lincoln Douglas. It wasn't me. It was Randall from Worcester. Whatever, he'd been doing debate for awhile so at this point I was like whelp that's it. I didn't place. Up next for second, Umberto from Unatego. Again, he has been doing debate for awhile so, whatever. I was near tears because I was hoping so badly to place because I practiced SO hard. Then, Mr. Parker paused for what I felt was an eternity. He had made the comment that he had the pleasure of watching this person progress, I knew it wasn't me, I hadn't been the easiest to work with, or so I believed. "You'd be surprised, what practice can do for someone new." Then, for first place, he called my name. It was from that point on that I fell in love with debate. I went extremely far. I was 3rd in line for Nationals that year. By far, that was one of the best days that made me who I am now. I never gave up and still don't to this day, and it showed my senior year in Track and Field.
I hated running. I hated it with a BURNING passion. However, I loved sports. I loved playing sports whether it was for the friends that made a team or the competition. So, basically I had to run hahaha. I played soccer, basketball, softball, then there was track and field my senior year of high school. My dad (and yes I am saying this) was right. He had told me that, "Gwen, you might have to run, but you will absolutely benefit from track and field." I was stubborn and hell, I still am. I should have known though. I mean my god, he held both the discuss and shot put record at our school. That was until my cousin Claude beat his discuss record and then my brother beat his shot put record. Gotta keep it in the family, ya know? John (my brother) beating my dads shot put record was one of the best days as our family was there to see my brother beat our dads record. A day that I surely won't forget. I thought I'd absolutely hate track and field, but I actually fell in love with the 100 meter dash (wasn't good at it but it was fun), and then there was shot-put and discus. I was told by SEVERAL classmates and students that I should quit because I was too big. That my fat would hold me back. But, I didn't quit. I kept at it. Between my dad pushing me and Coach Smith, who at the time I was also a peer leader for a gym class in the mornings, also pushing me to do my best, I ALMOST beat the discus record and for the first time and I passed the mile we would have to do in our gym class. I was extremely proud for the mile as I had never really beaten it in time through my entire high school years, but I was so mad for not breaking the record, but that was my fault for not listening to my dad sooner. I think between my dad (my own personal at home coach) and coach, they were the individuals who absolutely made my track and field experience the best sport experiences I could have ever had. My dad continued to help my brother in track and field after I graduated as did our coach, Mrs. Smith. To this day, Mrs. Smith still coaches Edmeston's track and field team.
Wednesday 5/31/23 , I was able to attend the State Qualifiers at Union-Endicott for track and field to support Edmeston/Morris' track and field team. Although orange and black may be Union-Endicott's colors, my orange and black will always be ECS.
Let me just say, the support is still unbelievably strong in small towns. I moved down to Endicott approximately 8 years ago and seeing people I haven't seen in a few years was amazing and they were there to support the kids that made it to state qualifiers. I truly miss the sport. To be part of a team. Then, I was able to also see the kiddos that were only "yay high" that are now seniors. Absolutely blows my mind. God I feel old. Also, HUGE congrats to Izek who made it to States in Long Jump! Best of luck!
Do I miss Edmeston? At times, yeah. I miss my family whom, pretty much, all reside in the area. I miss the community and how close knit it was. However, I also think I grew out of it and for the better. It lead me to my second family. It showed me that there is such a bigger world out there than just a small town. It lead me to start my own family. I visit occasionally because I miss family, the country side, etc. But, I don't regret a single thing. Everything in life happens for a reason. One thing I know for sure though, is Edmeston will always hold a piece of my heart.
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